Agbami group tasks government, private sector on science education

The Agbami Group of companies has said that unless there was stronger synergy between the Nigerian government and the some private sector concerns, science education in the country may collapse.

Agbami Group, comprising the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Petrobras, Statoil, Famfa Oil, and Chevron, yesterday donated a multi million naira science laboratory complex and equipment to Isanlu Isin Comprehensive College (IICC) Isanlu Isin, in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State at an event headed by the Kwara State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Engineer Musa Ayinla Yeketi.

Speaking at the event, a representative of one of the donors, Star Deep Water Petroleum Company Limited, a Chevron company, Mr. Michael Kabi, said the project was meant to improve and encourage educational standard, especially science education among students in the state.

Yeketi said the school would become a model for science education in the state, promising prompt swapping of students to enable only the science oriented ones among them to be enrolled as the students of the college.

The visibly excited commissioner while pledging supply of a 500KVA transformer for the people of the town and to boost the powering of the laboratory during usage, added that competent science teachers would soon be deployed to the college in order to complement the efforts of the existing teachers.

He therefore, urged the Oba of the town to ensure proper reaction of the perimeter fencing of the college towards securing the expensive laboratory equipment.

Also speaking, Kabi, who said that the group was focusing on education, health and economic development, pointed out that areas of intervention had not been limited to oil producing areas alone as the whole country was seen as a community.

“Because it is a global brand, best practices are deployed. Yes, Isanlu Isin is not an oil producing area, but the group sees Nigeria as its corporate entity. The laboratory is not just a structure but it is fully equipped in line with world standard, ’’he said.